


Passivity

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Insecurity, Mentions of genocide, Mild Racism, Self-Doubt, Stereotypes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 16:19:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19771924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: Before that fateful night, Reyson and Leanne were not like other herons. Now, though, Rafiel wonders if the standard for herons holds true anymore.





	Passivity

_My brother and sister are not like other herons,_ he used to say, but given the circumstances, _is_ there truly a "normal" heron standard? Reyson may have picked up most of his habits and temperament from living among the Hawks, but he'd always been the stubborn sort. Leanne appeared every inch the soft, fragile lady, but as a child she often used her cute looks to get her way and is quite sassy in their native tongue.

Both are learning to cast spells, too, with Spectre cards. Herons are not meant for battle, but King Tibarn insisted they learn to protect themselves if absolutely necessary.

Rafiel fits the mold of the overly polite, submissive, frail heron, and Ike is hardly the first person to notice. King Tibarn, the beast tribes, several of the beorc often murmur about it. Some are merely surprised, only having known Reyson very long, but others look at him strangely. A redhead with cold eyes even scoffs at him, _how'd someone as soft as you even live that long?_

Nailah leaps to his defense every time, and he's grateful to her. But when he thinks about his brother and sister, he wonders if his shortcomings are a liability for the rest. He can't fly, he tires too easily to use magic, and the sounds of battle have begun to wear on him.

Ike reassures him that he's an asset to the army, that his Galdr lifts spirits and keeps them calm. Nailah tells him she loves him just the way he is and that she'd never want him to change for anyone. But this is war, where weak, soft, and submissive are not desireable qualities for battles. People being afraid you'll drop dead at the slightest tremor is hardly flattering.

_I'm being silly,_ he thinks. _I'm exactly the way a heron should be. My brother was molded by outside forces, my sister was asleep for twenty years. Had Serenes not burned and the heron clan survived, they would be just like me._ But then he sees Reyson raise a fist to an enemy, Leanne sass a beroc in Ancient Tongue, and he feels inadequate.

It's been twenty years since the massacre. A tiny slice of time compared to a laguz lifespan, but enough time for a number of significant changes to have passed him by. Reyson and Leanne are grown up, Beignon's corruption has reached critical mass, Daein citizens willingly fight alongside and break bread with Laguz, and Crimea lost a great king and gained a wise queen.

In twenty years, perhaps the standard for herons has changed without anyone realizing. Leanne will likely marry King Naesala and bear him children who will inherit her stubborn streak and Naesala's sneaky, scheming charm. There may not be another full-blooded heron for centuries to come, now that he thinks of it.

_Is the age of the ideal heron truly over? Am I simply a relic of days long past?_

He continues to follow them into battle, sings for them, refreshes them. He thanks those who express concern for his frailty, stays close to Nailah, and thinks of his siblings. He considers the magic cards in storage, wonders if maybe he is strong enough to use one. He worries for Nailah's recklessness, for the people turned to stone and waiting for them, what awaits them in the Tower of Guidance.

"Rafiel?"

"Ah, Mist." He bows slightly and turns to her. "Can I help you?"

"I just wanted to say thank you," she says. "For always sticking with us. Your songs, your presence...it's really soothing, you know? Before we all split up, Micaiah talked about how you always managed to calm her down when she was stressed. You're doing the same for everyone here, even if some of them won't admit it."

"Ah..." He doesn't know what to say. He's used to compliments, yes, but lately he's grown used to concern and even derision. He thinks of Micaiah, how she'd bury herself in his arms when the war with the Laguz Alliance got to be too much, the relief when he felt the unrest in her heart begin to heal. Mist's smile and the pure, honest gratitude in her words.

"So yeah...thanks, Rafiel. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Thank _you,_ Mist." He feels sillier than ever for having worried so much about who he is. He's a typical heron through and through, but his time is not over. _They need me just the way I am._


End file.
